1 - Interrupted Aria (29 page)

Glossary of Baroque Opera Terms

Abellimenti
: Improvised ornamentation supplied by the performer, designed to enliven the original melody.

Cadenza
: A concluding passage that allows the performer to exhibit his virtuoso skills.

Canzona
: A songlike overture popular in Venetian opera.

Castrato
: A male singer castrated before puberty to preserve a soprano or contralto voice.
Castrati
were known for an unusually wide range, great power, and a special timbre that listeners found fascinating. Also termed
evirato
or
musico
.

Deus ex machina
: Theatrical device of lowering a god from above to resolve a tangled plot dilemma.

Libretto
: The words spoken or sung during the opera. Most were taken from plays, novels, or poems. Audience members could buy a libretto to help them follow the action on stage.

Maestro
: Title of respect for a teacher, composer, or conductor.

Opera seria
: Main form of opera during the eighteenth century. Pageantry, classical heroes, and the gods of myth prevailed.

Prima donna
: Principal female singer, generally a soprano.

Primo uomo
: Principal male singer. In the eighteenth century, a
castrato
soprano.

Recitativo
: Declamatory singing that describes the plot of an opera.

Virtuoso
: Master singer.

Author’s Note

Perhaps the greatest mystery concerning the
castrati
is what they actually sounded like. In the absence of recording devices, music is a fleeting art. A note is sounded, strikes the ear, and however glorious it may be, immediately dies. Contemporaries from the heyday of the
castrati
tantalize us with descriptions of vocal pyrotechnics that nearly defy belief, but the voices that drove those seventeenth and eighteenth-century listeners into a frenzy will never be recreated for the modern ear. Although singers who describe themselves as “endocrinologic
castrati
” exist today, the rigorous training and secrets of breath control that produced
virtuosi
like the great Farinelli have disappeared into history. For the reader wishing to learn more about these enchanting singers, Patrick Barbier’s
The World of the Castrati
(Souvenir Press, 1998) is an excellent resource.

Happily, some baroque delights echo down the ages. One of the greatest pleasures of writing this book came in discovering that a new breed of countertenor has revitalized the production of some nearly forgotten operatic gems. The works that Tito sang never existed, but if the reader would like to share in a major source of inspiration for his fictional performances, I recommend Johann Adolf Hasse’s
Cleofide
(William Christie, Capriccio, 1987). Countertenors Derek Lee Ragin, Dominique Visse, and Randall Wong hit gorgeous high notes and probably come as close to recreating the
castrato
voice as modern listeners are likely to hear. Any recording by David Daniels or Andreas Scholl is also sure to delight fans of the high male voice.

I would like to thank the following people for helping me bring Tito and his world to life: My family, for their love and cheerful support through the years. My fellow members of Sisters in Crime-Ohio River Valley Chapter, for their ever-helpful criticism and encouragement. The staff of the Louisville Free Public Library, where I probably hold the record for inter-library loan requests. My agent Dan Hooker, for sticking with me through the rough patches. Lastly, Barbara Peters, Robert Rosenwald, and everyone at Poisoned Pen Press, for treating my words with such care.

More from this Author

For other books, upcoming author events, or more information please go to:

www.poisonedpenpress.com/beverle-graves-myers

Contact Us

To receive a free catalog of Poisoned Pen Press titles, please contact us in one of the following ways:

Phone: 1-800-421-3976

Facsimile: 1-480-949-1707

Email:
[email protected]

Website:
www.poisonedpenpress.com

Poisoned Pen Press

6962 E. First Ave. Ste. 103

Scottsdale, AZ 85251